Pawprints In The Rain
by banksd15
Summary: Werewolf AU. GaleXPeeta. UPDATED WEEKLY. (PEETA POV) How does one believe in hope again, believe in love again, after watching those they care about most, die in cold blood? It's not easy, but possible. And Peeta Mellark will learn that the hard way. For there's a thin line between hope, and despair; between love, and heartache. And a thin line between life, and death.
1. Rain

Love. Wonderful pointless love. Fake is what it really is. False. Not real. A disillusionment that's torn apart my family. The 5-foot, thorny rose figure that's pricked blood not just from fingers, but bodies. Love is what alluded my mother into thinking that my father was a gentle man. It's what alluded my father into thinking that his abuse was justified. After-all he claimed he did it out of love. Every hit to the face, every second of being locked in a closet, every cry escaping my mothers mouth...was all for love.

Two individuals bound together by their own foolish, idealistic minds, destined to tear each other apart, and have their lives end in death. That is what love did to my parents. That is what love _does_ to people. I've seen it many times. And after all that my eye's have endured, I refuse to let myself feel even the slightest twitch of the ruthless emotion.

…

The night-air of Autumn is cool as I continue my walk towards my Aunt's house, from my job. Two buses, and a Ten-Mile walk-a-thon for a measly seven bucks an hour at some cheap gas station. Life. Small droplets of rain begin to fall from the sky. Great. I hate the rain. It reminds me of him. ...Reminds me of Ray. ...Of seeing his body lifeless on the living room floor.

" _Ray?! Ray!? RAY!? Answer me please!" I shook him and shook him but nothing. Footsteps. My father. "He had it coming. ...I'm so sorry but son he had it coming."_ _He grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against the wall. "HE HAD IT COMING!" He sobbed into me. "They both did…" He mumbled into me. ...Both? Oh no. Mother!_

I shake my head. Not today memories, not today. It's been six months, time to move on. I can't grieve forever. ...I can't _love_ forever.

…

"I'm home." I yell, as I walk into the door. It reeks of perfume and sex. I walk into the kitchen. The tables a mess. There's chocolate syrup on the floor and chocolate handprints on the fridge. Well, someone's had a wild night. Wouldn't be the first time. I make way towards the downstairs guest bedroom, but stop in the hallway. It smells...like wet dog. The rain patters against the windows. I hear a creak. I whip around towards my backside. Nothing. I speed walk to the kitchen and grab a knife. I walk to the living room. I still my breathing. ...I hear another breath. I'm not the only one here! "Show yourself!" I demand. I see a figure in my peripheral vision. I turn towards my side. A beast. A giant wolf. With red eyes. Deep black fur. "Easy pup." _Bark!_ I fall backwards. It growls menacingly. The animal stalks it's way towards me. My heart is banging in my chest. The rain pours harder. A flash of lightning and a roar of thunder follows. The beast leaps at me, but is tackled to the ground by another...beast?! The two animals wrestle together. Bookcases, lamps, the t.v. falls to the ground. The black wolf whimpers and it's neck is bitten fiercely by the other wolf. An auburn wolf, with grey,blue eyes. Like rain. A puddle of blood begins to form under the two. Crimson red.

I can't just stay here. I need to leave. I get up to run. "Ahhhghghg!" I scream in sheer pain. I fall to my knees and clutch my left shoulder blade. Did one of those animals just bite me?! I need to call for help. 911!

Still clutching my shoulder, I run to the guest bedroom downstairs. I shut the door and lock it. I fall onto the kingsized bed staring up at the ceiling. I fumble in my pocket reaching for my phone. _Thump!Thump!Thump!_ My heart beats. I stop fumbling for my phone. Somethings off. ...Silence. I slowly sit up. _CRASH!_ The bedroom door comes tumbling down. In walks the auburn wolf. Bloody cuts, and welts, lay on it's back and face. I stare at the creature. Scared. Nervous. Worried. Adrenaline pumping. Suddenly the cuts and welts start to disappear, slowly. I gasp softly. Strange. My vision blurs for a split second and I feel a sharp throb of pain shoot from where I was bitten, to the rest of my body. Both of my hands are at my side to steady me. The wolf and I lock eyes. The rain outside stops and the room, the house, is filled with nothing but the sounds of the wolf's panting and my shallow breathing. Is this animal going to do something? Anything?! My fingers fidget. Suddenly, the wolf blurs and what is now standing in front of me is a human. He's in a skin tight shirt, and skintight jeans that hug his muscles. His brunette hair is tousled. His eyes...his eyes are-

"Sorry." The man says thickly. Is this even real. I can't even speak. This is all just ridiculous. Another burst of pain hits me. I hiss. The man walks towards me but I tense, causing him to stop. I look up at him. I clear my throat, and begin to speak.

"Is there, a woman...dead. ...In this house?" The man sniffs the air, then nods.

"I can smell the blood of two individuals, yes."

"Is that...thing dead?"

"Yes." The man gives a quick nod. "Are you alright-"

"I'm fine." I deadpan. I wish this man would wipe that look of concern from his face.

"You can't stay here. In this house. You have to come with me." He says hesitantly.

"Oh do I?" I retort. I hear a couple of footsteps from outside the room. The man in front of me stands up straighter. In walks a blonde old man, and a girl.

"Katniss. Gale. Leave please." The elder one of the three says. The man and the girl exit. The older man walks up to me. He touches my left shoulder blade. I hiss and draw myself away from him. He laughs. "Well you're certainly going to make a wonderful addition."

"To what." I demand. "What is going on?"

"Oh you'll find out soon enough." Suddenly claws elongate from the elders fingers and he punctured my right bicep. I yelp in pain. My vision blurs. I go numb. And all I hear is rain.

 **...**

I open my eyes to sunlight piercing through sheer burgundy curtains. The bed I'm in is unfamiliar. Unfamiliar softness. Unfamiliar charcoal scent. I sit up, gazing at my surroundings. The room I'm in is thoroughly decorated with 20th and 19th century paintings, and wall decor. There's even a slick red grand piano, with a granite black bass sitting beside it. It's like I'm in a brand new season of _Gossip Girl_. I get out of the bed. I walk over to a body-length mirror on the other side of the room. I'm dressed in the clothes I wore the night before. Or was it two nights before? Who knows, I could've been passed out for a whole year. My eyes scan my body. I appear to be healthy. No scars or bruises. My shoulder blade! I turn around trying to examine the area. Just then, the bedroom door opens and in walks the man from the previous night. I stop what I'm doing immediately. I'm completely still. Just staring.

"You might wanna take a shower." The man says, a light smile pulling at his lips. I sniff myself. Yuck. I must've been out for at least a whole day to smell like this. "There's a private bathroom on the other side of the room. There's towels and uh, _things_ , in there. I'll check back in a couple minutes." With that, the man leaves the room. I quickly resume trying to look at my left shoulder blade. I catch a glimpse of it, and, it's healed! Strange. Very strange. Everything since the previous night has been strange. The two giant wolves fighting. The wolf turning into a man. That old guy hurting me with his claws! And here I thought this type of stuff only existed in the movies.

Guess I should shower.

…

A sigh of pleasure and relief escapes my lips as the steaming hot water hits my backside. This is nice. Should I escape? Should I even try? What if the people in this place want to murder me? Or what if they want to help? So many questions. Questions. Questions. Questions. ...Ray liked to ask a lot of questions. He was always so curious. ...Ray. ...Mother.

" _HE HAD IT COMING!" He sobbed into me. "They both did…" He mumbled into me. ...Both? Oh no. Mother! I pushed myself out of my father's grip. I ran up the steps to my parents room. "Mom! Mom!" Tears flooded my face like rain. I pulled at my hair and screamed. "WHY!? WHY!?" I felt someone walk behind me. As I turned around, something heavy hit my head. And I blacked out._

 _Bang!Bang!Bang!_ "Save some for the rain forests." I hear the man yell over the rush of the shower water. "I'm almost finished!" I yell back. "Alright. I'll be out here waiting."

Oh Peeta. What to do, what to do?

I shut off the shower. I open the curtains and start pulling on some sort of uniform, that I assume, was left in here for me to wear for the day. Once I'm dressed, I look into the bathroom mirror. It's still covered in steam. I take my hand and wipe it across the mirror, revealing my reflection. I stare into my eyes. I wince. ...They remind me too much of the past. Of my mother. Of my hurt. I take a deep breath then release it. I walk to the bathroom door and place my hand over the handle. Whelp, looks like I'm gonna be staying in this place for a while. That is, if they decide not to kill me.

…

The man, who's name I've learned is Gale, and I walk through hallways and corridors in silence. We pass rooms with open doors revealing desks, and rooms with closed doors revealing golden numbers. Room numbers? Desks? "This is a school." I mumble. Realization hitting me. Gale smirks. "What kind of school is this?"

"Sans Academy of the Divine."

"Divine _what_ exactly?"

"All students here are descendents of prestigious werewolf-" I stop walking. Gale stops too.

"Werewolves?" I ask, my mouth slightly agape.

"C'mon. I would've thought you'd put two and two together and figure it out by now. Haven't you seen _Twilight_ or watched _Teen Wolf_?"

"Yes I've seen werewolves in movies, and I had my suspicions but-"

"I get it. Give it a day or two. That's when it'll _really_ sink in." Gale resumes walking and I resume my place at his side.

"Has what's happening to me, happened to anyone else?"

"Yeah. But not many get bit by an alpha. Especially an alpha like Brutus." Gale stops in front of two giant oak double doors. "We're here."

"You coming in?"

"No. I have class. I guess I'll see you-"

"What's gonna happen to me? I mean, I know that whoever's in there is most likely going to ask if I want to stay or not. But what happens if I say no?"

"Then you'll be let out into the real world as an omega wolf."

"Omega?"

"It means you won't have a pack. Or anything. You seriously need to watch some _Teen Wolf_."

"Whatever. I'll probably just stay." I sigh. "There's nothing else out there for me anyhow." I mumble. Gale gives me a look. A cross of concern and curiosity. "What?" I retort sharply. He needs to stop that. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Nothing." He replies. "You never told me your name you know."

"Huh, I guess I didn't." With that I open one of the doors, and walk into a giant room, leaving a semi-stunned looking Gale, out in the hallway. I close the door behind me. I look up and see three people sitting behind a large wooden oak desk. Two old men, and one young woman. The old guy who clawed me. A man with pure white hair, and a snowy-white beard. And a woman with blackish, red hair reminiscent of a dark lagoon. Mysterious. A single chair sits in front of the three. If I didn't know any better I'd think this was the oval office. The guy who looks like Santa stands up. "Young man. We would very much appreciate it if you had a seat." I hesitantly walk towards the chair and sit down. The air in the room is thick. My throat clenches. I wipe my hands on the dress pants of the uniform I'm wearing. Santa notices and his eye twinges a bit. Hm. "I suppose introductions are necessary," the man continues, "I am Mr. Snow. President of this Academy."

"Mr. Abernathy. Or Haymitch, whichever is fine with me. Oh, and I am thee assistant princi-pal." The man with claws slurs, burping at the end. I roll my eyes.

"Sup. I'm Johanna." Says the woman. Mr. Snow clears his throat. Johanna sighs dramatically. "Ms. Mason. _My apologies_. And I am the Dean of student coordination." I scoff. What kind of title is that. Ms. Mason seems to have read my mind because she smirks and says, "I know right." I laugh lightly, but my eyes soon meet Mr. Snow's. I stop laughing, and shrink back a bit.

"And you are?" Mr. Snow asks.

"Peeta. Mellark."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Mellark. Now, time to get down to business-"

"This is a werewolf academy and you want to know whether I will join you. If I say yes you'll probably do a crash course of werewolf 101 with me. If I say no you might, I dunno kill me?" I say bluntly. My pulse skipping a beat as I say the last sentence. Ms. Mason looks at me amused while Mr. Abernathy is knocked out on the desk (How professional). Mr. Snow however, grins coldly and hardens his gaze a bit. I want to shrink back in the chair, but I fight it. Instead, I sit up and stare at the elder even harder. Afterall this Academy is filled with werewolves. I can be just as tough as they are. And weakness does not seem like it'd be a glamorous trait to portray within this place. Mr. Snow grunts. "Well, you're very blunt. So I've assumed you made your decision."

"I'll stay."

"Really?"

"Surprised?"

"Not many seem to accept staying here so easily. Especially when they're your age and are newly turned."

"Turned? Does that mean I'm some sort of werewolf or something."

"It _means_ that you _are_ a _werewolf_. Nothing else."

"I don't feel any different."

"Of course you don't. You've been injected with a tranquilizer."

"You all _tranquilized_ me?" I accuse. Ms. Mason speaks up.

"Look, newly turned wolves are a handful. Especially ones that don't know about the whole werewolves existing type thing, so yeah, we drugged you-"

"Johanna." Mr. Snow scolds, but she shrugs him off. " _But_ the drugs should wear off soon, and your werewolf abilities will soon kick in."

"So...If I did say no, what would you all do to me?"

"You'd be set free. As an _omega_." Mr. Snow answers with disgust leaking from his tongue as he practically spits the last word.

"What's so bad about those?" This time, it's Ms. Mason who answers my question.

"That's something you'll learn over the next two weeks."

"I'm sorry?"

"All newly turns who were human and know _nothing_ about us, _you,_ get to have two weeks of a crash course history slash semi-training lesson with Mr. Abernathy. You'll stay in an area we don't use anymore on the west side of campus."

"And then I'll just attend here?"

"Not exactly. Yeah you'll be taking some classes here but your training will be different from the other students. We'll train you to be in our task force. Our _army_." Ms. Mason smirks, with a glint in her eye while Mr. Snow tenses, glaring daggers at Johanna. She notices. "Oh please, he was gonna find out anyway. Besides being in an army isn't that bad Peeta. It's pretty cool, especially since it's a werewolf one."

"So ," Mr. Snow speaks up, 'I'll show you to where you'll be staying for the next two weeks and any further questions feel free to ask Mr. Abernathy." I look over to the old man still fast asleep, drool seeping from his mouth. Gross. I take my eyes off the sleeping brute and stand up.

"Thanks. I guess."

"No need . Now, off to your temporary living quarters." Mr. Snow walks from around the desk and heads towards the double oak doors to exit. I follow him, waving a small goodbye to Ms. Mason who gives me a sly smile and a wink. As and I walk past students, and classrooms, and richly decorated halls, it all hits me. This is my new life. _This_ is my new life. A werewolf. Who would've thought. Seriously, who would've thought. In just six months, I've managed to witness the death of the ones I loved, get bitten by a werewolf who I know murdered my Aunt and whoever she was screwing, and attend some prestigious werewolf academy. This is so much. Too much. This is _too_ much. Whatever. Breathe Peeta. Breathe. This is your new life now. And you're going to learn to deal with it; to _live_ it. Who knows. Maybe...Hopefully...this new life can make you forget about the past. About _everything_. That would be nice. ...Too bad this is the real world. Then again, _werewolves_ are in the real world so who knows. ...Who knows…


	2. The Story Of Philip

Five days is how long it took me to learn the necessities of the 'were-kingdom' (If that's even a word). Five days, not including the first day I showed up at the nicknamed 'Were-baby Grounds', where Mr. Abernathy was intoxicated into abandon. I had to fend for myself that day. And by fending, I mean sleeping and trying to process all that's happened. I've learned about the hierarchy of the werewolf society. There's the Alpha (A leader of a pack of wolves. Your top-dog. Haha. _Dog_.), then there's the Beta (Your average werewolf that belongs to a pack.), and lastly there's the Omega (The werewolf with no pack, thus making them weaker.). From what Mr. Abernathy's _slurred_ to me, being an Omega can be a good, but very, very dangerous thing. For one thing, they're not tied to any other wolf making them emotionally vulnerable. Nor do they have an Alpha and can abide by their own intuition. _But_ , without a pack they have no one protecting them. And they're somehow weaker. I dunno, werewolf logic, not mine.

All a pack needs is an Alpha. So as long as there's an Alpha, there's a pack. Even if that pack is just an Alpha and it's beta. Still a pack. And a werewolf doesn't _have_ to be in it's Alpha's pack if it doesn't want to. A pack is formed basically like how one would form a group. A process of rallying people together, forming bonds with one another strong enough to link them all together, as pack.

In order to become an Alpha, you have to kill, yes _kill_ , another Alpha. I know, scary right? But then again, it's not. Mr. Abernathy became an Alpha by killing off his. When his Alpha grew old and knew he was going to die, he had kill him so that he knew where his powers were going. It's interesting. The whole Alpha thing. It's like one giant game of pass the baton. However, one of the most interesting things I learned about werewolves is that male one's can get pregnant. I know. It's so foreign to me. But it's not like I'll ever allow myself to get knocked up with werewolf puppies. For one, love is dead to me, and plus, that sounds really uncomfortable. Since I'm on the topic of love, there's this thing called a mate. Werewolves _claim_ another wolf, or in some cases a human, by biting them; embedding a mating mark so strong that other wolves can smell the claim, and see it. But this can only be done on a full moon. Plus the werewolf has to knot their mate and I don't feel like getting into that right now-so I'll just move on to another topic.

One of the last things I learned was that there are people out there who hunt werewolves, called hunters. Yeah, pretty self-explanatory name.

Hunters hunt werewolves for their claws, teeth, eyes, or just for fun. It's sickening to be honest. But there are good hunters out there who only hunt werewolves on a rampage because of the full moon having a great affect on them, or because they are just plain crazy. Sans Academy has a contract with a group of local hunters whose base isn't too far from it. _The Elite_. They help the academy out with any serious werewolf problems that may need _more_ than werewolf power.

And that is Peeta Mellark's werewolf summary 101, abridged.

But I've got a feeling that there's still _way_ more to learn.

…

I lay in the single bed in my temporary dorm room, staring up at the ceiling. The room is fancy. Just not as fancy as the one I was in at first. This room, this whole entire dormitory section of Sans Academy, isn't as fancy as the rest of the campus. For one it's smaller. It's also away from the courtyards, stadiums, and just Sans Academy in general. This place, campus, 'Were-baby grounds', whatever it's called, is in total cognito when compared to the rest of SA (Sans Academy).

I sit up, and stretch. I pop a few bones. Time to get ready for the day.

…

"Mr. Abernathy?!" I call out again. I hear no response. Just my voice bouncing off the old walls of the 'Were-baby grounds' building. I check the kitchen, bathrooms, and lastly the common room, for the third time. Still no sign of the old man. The front doorbell rings and I go to answer it. I open the door, revealing Gale.

"Can I help you?" I ask in a hurry.

"Did I do something wrong? I get the feeling that you may not like me." Was I coming off that way? I didn't mean to. Then again I can be a little _too_ stand offish at times.

"No I don't _hate_ you. But is there something you want?" I ask again with less force.

"Actually wanted me to show you around the campus. He's out on business and decided to give you a day to relax."

"What makes him think I'd wanna use my day to relax spending time with you?" Gale's face falls for a second before transfixing itself as if it never happened.

"You're never gonna find a pack with that attitude." Gale sighs. "But if you want me to leave, I'll leave. Besides I _was_ going to share with you how werewolves came to be." Gale turns to leave but I grab him and turn him around.

"You're serious?"

"Curious little one aren't you?" Gale says in a yoda-voice. I laugh softly, but quickly remove my hand from Gale and wipe my grin off my face.

"Fine. I'll spend the day with you."

"See that wasn't so hard."

"Yeah, yeah." I mumble brushing past Gale and shutting the door behind me.

Gale and I start our way towards the main SA campus, him leading, and me following.

…

"Where are you taking me anyway? And when are you gonna tell me about werewolves coming into existence?" I ask, trying to keep up with him. Darn him and his long-legged strides.

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises." I grumble.

"I'll keep that in mind." I scoff at this.

"You and your little attitude is what's going to keep you from getting a pack. _And_ making friends. You're lucky I'm just a nice guy." Gale remarks, flashing a smile at me. I stumble, then quickly regain my composure.

"I'd rather not try and make friends here." I say lowly.

"Why not?" Because I don't wanna get close to anyone else only to have them ripped away from me since that's what's happened in the past.

"Because I don't." I spit. Gale stops walking, as do I. He turns to me swiftly, towering over me. He doesn't look happy. I swallow a lump in my throat.

"I don't know if it's you just turning or what, but you need to realize something here. Werewolves value pack. It's what makes us strong, and gives our lives meaning. Pack is _family_. Even to the most villainous of us. And you acting like you have a stick up your ass isn't gonna help you get into a _pack_. It's gonna make people hate you. Not want to be around you. So if you want that, then keep up your attitude and get the hell outta here and become an Omega. You wouldn't even last a _second_." Gale says heatedly. Maybe I should stop acting so defensive. It's just that I can't handle any more loss. I can't. ...If only I could tell Gale this. No. My life isn't some record to be heard upon by others. ...Just me. ...Whatever. I'll drop the attitude and I'll start being nicer. But I just have to remember to not get too close to anyone. There's a thin line of love that I cannot afford to crossover again. Not this time. Not with anyone. Ever.

I meet Gale's eyes.

"Sorry. Okay? It's just...I'm not that good of a people person. Plus being a new werewolf is, difficult, to say the least. I'll be, more, _tolerable_." A beat passes between us. Gale's lips quirk into a smile. He resumes walking and I follow. After a few more beats of silence Gale says, "I forgive you." Three words like that shouldn't give me a warm, pleased feeling inside, but they do. It's probably a wolf thing. I'm serious. would talk about how wolves feel solace when praised from members of their pack, their Alpha (especially), or just other wolves. So yeah, it's a wolf thing. Besides, if it was something else, which it's not, I have no idea what it would be.

Gale and I soon arrive at a building covered in elongated glass windows that reveal hundreds, and hundreds of bookcases, tables, desks, computers, and students. This building is huge.

"Woah." I say softly to myself.

"This is the library. The second largest building on campus grounds." Gale says while behind me. He's far enough that we don't touch, but close enough that I can feel the heat radiate off of his body. I inhale. Charcoal. He smells of charcoal. I sniff again, longer this time, _enjoying_ Gale's scent.

"Are you scenting me?" Gale asks amused. I snap out of my dazed state. My eyes widen and I turn around quickly almost knocking us over. "It's okay. Wolves tend to do that with other wolves they don't know, it's normal. You're just trying to familiarize yourself with me." Gale's smile never leaves his lips. I give a quick, awkward nod, then turn back around to the library. Gale stands beside me now.

"So are we gonna go in?" I ask.

"Yeah, we're gonna go in. _But_ you're also going to learn how werewolves came to be." My heart rate picks up in excitement and anticipation.

"Let's go then." I say, walking into the library, Gale trailing behind me.

…

 _In the late 1300's, in the British Isles, during the Winter season, there a lived a man named Phillip. He fell in love with a woman, Kate. Kate's father soon discovered that she and Phillip were lovers, but he was not happy. He forbid Kate to see Philip for he was not of Kate's aristocratic status. Angry, Kate convinced Philip to run away with her and the two succeed. They ran as far as the mountains, and that is where they stayed. They found an old abandoned cottage, somewhat furnished, but duable. It wasn't but two days until Philip and Kate started having issues within their relationship. Kate was angry at herself for running away with someone like Phillip. Someone who couldn't properly provide for her. And Philip was angry at Kate for he worked hard in trying to fix up the cottage and he hunted in the cold for not just himself, but Kate as well. Kate had said she didn't love Philip anymore. That he was nothing but a mistake. That hurt Philip, a lot. The two stopped speaking to one another for a whole three days, then one night when Philip had come back to the cottage from hunting, he found Kate missing. He searched and searched but could not find her in the cottage. So he went outside to look for her. Philip was so engrossed in looking for Kate that he had gotten lost. He was cold and shivering, close to death. Phillip gazed upon the full moon in the night sky. Then he heard a growl, and another voice, but it wasn't Kate's. Phillip looked up and saw an old man draped in a robe, being closed in on by a creature. A wolf. Philip shakily stood up, and looked again at the scene near him. Philip was a humble, genuine man who could not let the old man die. So he tackled the wolf with all his strength, receiving three bites to his side, and one on his neck. Philip grabbed a rock and bashed it four times into the wolf's head, killing it. Philip laid on the snowy ground, breathing shallow breaths. The old man, holding a thick brown book to his chest, approached Philip. He thanked him for saving his life and asked if there was anything he could do for Philip in return. Philip asked to see his beloved Kate one last time, before he took his final breath, for Philip knew he would soon die in his condition. Of course Philip didn't believe the old man could do such a thing, but the elder agreed anyway. Philip, thinking the man was delusional closed his eyes, ready to meet death. But he heard the sounds of pages turning and he heard the old man mumble a few foreign words. The old man told Philip to open his eyes, and Philip did. Before him, he saw a clear, weightless bubble. His breath caught in his throat. Then, the image of Kate having sex with two other men in a cave, fitted the bubble. Kate's pleasurable moans filled the night. Then the bubble popped. Philip was outraged. After all he'd done for her, she'd rather act as a whore and lay with two men. She never moaned like that with him. And he loved her. And she left him, for two strangers. Strangers. The old man asked if Philip would like anything else, a coy smile playing at his lips. Philip murmured one word. Vengeance. He would avenge himself for wasting his time with Kate. And his family's sadness for leaving them without a word. Afterall, it was Kate who wanted to run away, not Philip. And she left him here to rot and bear the consequences of her foolish dream. The old man walked over to the dead wolf carcass, and dragged it to Philip, so that the two were side by side. Philip then died. But, the old man opened the book he had with him, for he was a sorcerer. He cast a spell on the wolf and Philip, merging them into one. The two dead mammals glowed together in unison, then a flash. Only Philip remained. He awoke. He felt different, alive. The scars on Philip were gone, and he stood up, feeling stronger than ever. Radient. He gazed at the full moon above him and howled the howl of a wolf. Shocked by this, Philip looked upon the old man with astonishment. The Old man told Philip, "Get your revenge, my child. But only your revenge. Do not go back to your family or the town from where you came. Once you have your vengeance, come find me in your cottage. Trust me." Philip, with reluctance, nodded. Then, he suddenly changed into a giant wolf. The wolf-Philip looked at it's paws, then back at the elder who smiled triumphantly. "Go." Said the old man. And Philip went. Sniffing, trying to find Kate. It was instinct. After two days, the wolf-Philip had found Kate. She was bathing in a lake, in daylight. The wolf approached her, and snarled. Kate turned around quickly. She was frightened. She stood up in the lake, cautiously walking out of it. The wolf kept its gaze on her. Then it attacked her. The wolf bit Kate five times, enough to hurt, but not to kill. When it delivered two final bites, it walked back from Kate's body. Then, wolf-Philip turned back into Philip's human form. Kate's eyes widened from where she was. Philip, with a smug smile on his face, walked up to Kate, and spit on her. Then her body went lifeless. Philip was satisfied. Keeping his word, Philip met back up with the old man at daybreak, at his cottage. The old man was proud of Philip for Philip was the first successful creation the elder had created. Because Philip kept his promise, unlike the other greedy humans who ran off after they got what they wanted, and died the very next day as punishment. The old man trained Philip, showed him his abilities, told Philip that he, and only he himself, would birth werewolves as mighty as him. He called Philip, Werewolf. Philip would be Werewolf, his werewolf. As years passed, Philip kept his secret hidden from the world, and traveled and lived with the elder man who he treated like a father. One day, the elder passed and Philip was saddened. He cried into the dead man, and then buried the body, along with the man's robe, and his book. A few months later, Philip met a woman whom he married and had a child with. The woman unfortunately died after the birth of the child. Philip felt something in the child though, something strong. It wasn't until the child was three, and phased into a werewolf that Philip knew what this meant. He had a werebaby. This brought Joy to Philip for this was the first born werewolf. The first, born. And it was his. Philip trained the child and taught it to hide it's secret from the rest of the world. When the child was in it's teens, Philip had married another woman who bore three children with him. Once each child was born, Philip had felt the same feeling he felt with his first child, with each of them. He had more werebabies. Philip and his eldest child made sure to not let the wife find out about the babies, or themselves. But the wife did one night, when she witnessed one of the children shifting from werewolf to human form. She screamed and called Philip the devil, and threatened to tell everyone. Philip could not have this, so he killed her. When his youngest three were old enough, Philip told them the truth of their mother, instead of saying she went away for a while. The children were angry at Philip and sad with him. But, Philip told them that sometimes you have to sacrifice the ones you cherish, to save the ones you love. Though this did not immediately appease the children's anger, they eventually forgave Philip. Philip and the children trained constantly and traveled together in secret, and love, as a family. As a pack. When Philip was on his deathbed, the eldest promised to keep the werewolf lineage going, even if it meant killing their own spouse. For the gift of being a werewolf, was a sacred one that had to be protected. Philip thanked his eldest, and said to them, "When you have children, they will not be born like you and I, or your siblings. For I am the only one who can birth such mighty wolves. But, a man, ...my...my father, told me, that there is a way to pass the strength on. You must allow your child, or someone, to take your life with their claws, or teeth, and the power will be within them. And, I never told you or the others, but you can create more of us, without birth. Bite with your wolf teeth into the skin of another, and they will be yours. You will be their leader. And they will be submissive to you. I am telling you now because I feel you are mature enough to know this knowledge and to handle it with responsibility." The eldest thanked the father and promised to not use the knowledge, or bite, recklessly. Philip thanked the eldest, then he died._

…

"And that is how werewolves were created." Gale says, leaning back in his chair.

"Woah." Are the only words that leave my mouth.


	3. For You Both

Gale and I are sitting in a courtyard, near a pond of lilies, on an old rickety bench. I hold a cup of hot coffee in my hands that Gale bought for me despite my protests. Meanwhile, Gale munches on a cronut.

"You haven't really spoken since the library." Gale remarks, crumbs falling from his lips. He wipes his mouth on the back of his uniform sleeve.

"You know there are things called napkins."

"I didn't take you to be so pristine."

"I'm not." I grumble, setting the coffee down next to me and hugging in on myself. I look out towards the sunlight reflecting off of it. I can feel Gale looking at me.

"You hardly touched your coffee."

"I'm not a coffee person."

" Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did. But you bought me it anyway."

"Huh." Gale turns to look out at the courtyard, or the pond, I honestly don't know. "Are you still thinking about how werewolves came to be?"

"That, my life, _everything_."

"You'll get use to it. Just give it some time." Yeah, because time will make it seem like turning into a werewolf isn't such a big deal. That turning your whole life around isn't such a big deal. That becoming a whole different, _thing_ , isn't some _big deal_. Not only have I lost everyone, my mother, Ray, my father, and my Aunt, my friends from home, in just six months, but I've also managed to drop off of the face of the earth and become a freaking werewolf who attends a prestigious academy who will soon be in a werewolf army. Yeah, time will certainly make all that seem like nothing.

I wonder if anyone is even looking for me. I wonder if any of my Aunts neighbors are concerned about her, or me, or if they've seen any giant wolves running around recently. I wonder about so many things, but it just makes my head hurt, and right now, I'd rather relax and enjoy this peaceful scenery on a Fall day. I sigh and sink down into the bench. Then I hear a girl yell Gale's name. I look over to Gale's side and see the girl from the night _this_ all started. She jogs over to us and Gale stands up to meet her in a hug.

"Did you forget about our little bet today?" The girl snarks to Gale punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow!", Gale whines in pain, "And _no_ I didn't forget. I was about to call you. Besides, I dunno if we can spar today-"

"Why not!? _Worried_?" Gale scoffs at this.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. And as you can see, I've got company." Gale gestures to me.

"Oh yeah, the boy. What's his name again?"

"My name is Peeta." I say to them, standing up. "And you and Gale can do whatever you want. I think I'm gonna go back to the 'were-baby grounds' and-"

"The what?!" The girl asks laughing, as does Gale, although he tries to hide his.

"The 'were-baby grounds'. It's what Mr. Abernathy calls it."

"Listen, no one calls it that anymore. It's 2015." The girl replies, finishing up her laughter.

"Then what is it called?" I ask out of curiosity. This time, it's Gale who speaks up.

"It's called the E.T.G.. Exchange Trainee Grounds. For people like you."

"Oh." I say dumbfoundedly.

"Alright c'mon Gale. Let's go settle our little bet."

"What about Peeta, Katniss?" So Katniss was her name.

"He can watch. _If_ he's not afraid."

"Why would I be afraid?" I challenge. "I've seen two werewolves fight in my own home. Plus I've even got _bitten_ by one." Gale and Katniss exchange a look. Gale opens his mouth to speak.

"Are you sure Peeta? I know you're still freaked out-"

"Who said I was freaked out. Because I'm not. Now are we gonna keep sitting here wasting time, or am I going to see you two 'spar'?" I reply bluntly.

"This one's mouthy. Just like me." Katniss praises with a smug smile.

"Fine. If that's what you want." Gale sulks. He and Katniss start walking off, and I follow closely behind them. I smell the air and something about Gale's scent has changed. He still smells of charcoal, but of sweat too. And not the exhilarating kind. The kind of nervousness; of worry. Geez, is he that worried about fighting with Katniss?

…

I sit in a clearing, Gale and Katniss stand a couple yards away from each other. I'm far enough away that I won't get hurt. Gale's idea, not mine, nor was it Katniss's.

The clearing is open and grassy, like an African plain. We're still on school grounds, as long as we don't go past the tall, thick black gate's that surround the Academy. On the way here, Gale was telling me how Katniss got caught trying to sneak out to meet up with a hunter from the _Elite_ that she had a thing for. Katniss punched Gale in the thigh for telling her business without permission. Gale clutched his thigh in pain but laughed at Katniss's reddened face, as did I, but not before receiving a cold glare from her. Turns out that quite a few students attempt to sneak out to hook up with a hunter from the _Elite_. Some are opposed to it because whether they're good or not, the _Elite_ are still hunters, but some just see them as good human beings trying to protect both werewolves and humans. I guess it's all a matter of opinion.

I gaze out to Katniss, and then to Gale. Both of them are ready, I can tell. My hands grip the ground in anticipation. Part of me is a little scared, but most of me is excited to see the two brawl. After-all, neither of them is trying to hurt _me_.

Suddenly they both shift at the same time and charge towards each other. Katniss's wolf is black, and silver. Cool. I wonder how wolve's get their colors.

Katniss jumps over Gale who tries to ram into her headfirst. She lands perfectly on all fours and runs towards Gale, biting him on the back. Gale swings with all his might in a circle to shake her off, but she doesn't budge. I think I even see her bite harder. Gale's wolf growls and runs and jumps, landing on it's back, and slamming Katniss in the process, who let's go. Double damage.

Katniss stands up, a little disoriented. Gale takes this opportunity to ram his head under Katniss who flies into the air and lands hard on her back. These two are _intense_.

Gale runs to Katniss and sinks his jaw on her neck, throwing her again. Katniss whimpers, and stands up. Gale charges her again, but she quickly moves out of the way, evading him quickly. She then turns at the speed of light and latches on to Gale's hind leg, bringing him to the ground. She jumps on his back, and swipes her claws across it quickly, like lightning. She's gotten at least fifty hits in, in at least ten seconds, before Gale stands and flings her off. Katniss skids to the ground. Gale runs towards her, but with limps. The sores on his back must inhibit his running. Katniss runs to Gale in full speed, then moves out of his way, running in a circle around him. Gale tries to keep his eye's on Katniss, and he does. But, he becomes dizzy. Katniss stops running, and Gale wobbles from left, to right, to front, to back. Katniss snarls and rams head first into Gale's side. Gale slides from her onto the ground. Katniss quickly runs to Gale and claws at his neck with ferocity. Then after a couple blows, she sinks her jaws right into Gale's head. He howls. Then Katniss throws him, mightily, far, far from her, close to me. Gale shifts to his human form, his body covered in scars, and blood. He lies there. Katniss howls, then shifts. She lays in the grass, panting, with an arm draped across her eyes.

I stand up and walk to Gale. I sit down next to him.

"You lost?" I ask grinning.

"I lost." Gale breathes out. I laugh and shout, "Go Katniss!", who fists the air, and laughs laughs of breath. Suddenly Gale tackles me to the ground. I yelp in surprise. He pins my hands above my head and uses his body to pin me to the ground. I don't know why, but my body floods with heat. And my face goes red. I can feel it. Gale smiles, and I look away from him. "Look at me." He demands softly. I slowly look into his eyes. His soft, grey-blue eyes. They remind me of rain. ...Ray liked rain. And Ray is dead. Dead...dead. No Peeta. You're getting too close. I shove Gale off of me and stand up. I look to Gale laying on the ground. He doesn't look at me. Instead he looks at the grass.

"Gale." I say. He still looks to the ground. "Gale." I say more firmly. Still, he looks to the ground. "Please." I say softly. Gale slowly looks up to me, staring directly into my eyes. "I'm gonna head back to the E.T.G.. If that's okay with you." Gale releases a breath, looks away, then looks back at me, with a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah. That's okay with me." He responds.

"Okay. Uhm, thanks for today. The library, and this. It was nice to see Katniss kick your ass." I laugh and Gale throws grass at me, mumbling a 'shut-up'. "No, but uhm, really. Thanks. It's safe to say that I wouldn't mind hanging out with you again. ...Or Katniss." A beat of silence passes. "Alright, well, I'm gonna go. I'll see you, maybe, another day?"

"Yeah. Most definitely."

"K. ...Bye."

"Bye Peeta."

"Goodbye Katniss" I yell to her. She's still in the same position.

"Later." She yells back. I smile to myself. I wave goodbye to Gale who waves back. I start my way to the E.T.G., feeling a small weight push against my heart. The weight is comforting, soothing. But my nerves tell me that it's just a matter of time before that weight comes crashing down on my heart entirely. The question is, will it still maintain it's comfort, ...or will it bring shards of pain with it? I sigh to myself. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Or maybe I won't have to. If I can find the source of this weight, I could extinguish it. Extinguish it, and everything that may come along with it. Better safe than sorry, am I right? ...Right? I feel a small knot in my stomach. But I push it away, numbing it. I numb the knot.

…

I sit reading a book in the common room. _Lycanthropy for dummies._ This books a better teacher than Mr. Abernathy. Ten points for sobriety.

Silence encases the house. I hear the front door open. I close the book that I'm reading. I walk to the front door to see who it is. It's closed shut. I hear noise coming from the kitchen. I walk into the room, seeing Mr. Abernathy. He searches through the cupboards, looking for what I assume (no what I know) is a drink.

"I thought you were away on business." I say to him. He finds a bottle of tequila, opens it, then gulps the whole bottle down in less than a minute. Once he's finished, he belches twice. The echoes of his burp bounce through the rooms of the house. He then throws the empty bottle of tequila in the garbage.

"Did you say something?" He slurs. I roll my eyes in annoyance, and agitation. Is it so hard to _not_ intoxicate your body to the point of death?

"I _said_ , I thought you were away on _business_."

"Geez kid, watch your tone."

"Mr. Abernathy!"

"Alright, alright just don't shout." Mr. Abernathy sits down at the kitchen island. I go to sit across from him.

"Well." I coax impatiently.

" _Yes_ , I was away on business. But now I'm back, and don't worry, you still have the day off. I'm about to go out with some old friends."

"I'm surprised you have any friends." I mutter to myself. "What were you on business _for_ anyway?"

"Just making sure that no one knows of your current, _situation_. Covering tracks and all." Mr. Abernathy gets up and starts searching the cupboards again.

"What do you mean by that?" I demand, standing up. "Did you _kill_ anyone?!" Mr. Abernathy stops what he's doing and turns to me.

"What on earth makes you think that?"

"You're all _werewolves_. Don't you all kill to protect your little secret. After all that guy Philip did and-" Mr. Abernathy slams me against the fridge. I can smell the stench of alcohol _leaking_ from him.

"Look here you little _shit_. You need to get it through your pretty little head that you're a werewolf too. And we're not _all_ like that. Sans Academy _isn't_ like that. We were taking care of things so that no one found out about _you_." Mr. Abernathy hisses. I shove him off of me in anger.

"In other words you're _protecting_ your secret. If people found out about me, they-"

"They would put you on some display in the science museum or some shit! You want that?! Damn! You are so ungrateful. We saved your ass."

"No, _Gale_ , saved my ass. You clawed me into unconsciousness!"

"None of this wouldn't have happened if you just ran away from Brutus! But no, you had to get bit by him, and now we have one of his betas in our midst."

"None of this wouldn't have happened if you did your job. None of this is my fault! I didn't ask for this! I don't _want_ this!"

"Really? Because I did some research on _you_. Seventeen year old boy witnesses his mother and brother _die_ at the hands of his father, who later-"

"Shutup!"

"Why? You said you didn't want this life. So do you want your old life? Where unicorns and fucking rainbows exist? Do you? A life where you were _living_ with an Aunt who was a motherfucking _prostitute_!"

I lunge my fist at Mr. Abernathy punching him in the face. He stumbles backwards but laughs. Tasting the blood from his lips. "Damn that hurt. It's not like you whiney ones to be so aggressive. Cheers." He hisses. Tears brim my eyes. I punch Mr. Abernathy again, and again, right in the face. I go to hit him a third time but he pushes me into the fridge. My back slams against it, taking breath out of my lungs. I gasp in pain. Then I choke on a sob. I start crying.

"You all just don't get it. You all just don't get _my_ life. I don't _want_ to be a werewolf. I don't _want_ a pack. I don't _want_ friends who are only going to get taken from me in the end. I just...I can't do it anymore!" I cry into my knees, grabbing my hair. The kitchen is silent now, and the tension in the air has alleviated. I sob for a couple of minutes before Mr. Abernathy sits down next to me. He pulls me close and I silently cry into his shirt.

"My family was murdered by hunters when I was twenty-seven. They killed my wife, and my two sons, my sisters, and my brother, and my grandparents. It was Christmas. My family put up a good fight, but I was the only one who lived. I ran away as an Omega and almost died at least ten times. Hah, a miracle I'm even alive today. ...Then I stumbled upon a pack who accepted me. ...I used to ask myself 'why?', so many times. But I learned to live with it. I still miss my family. Dearly. But dwelling on the past isn't going to bring them back." A beat of silence passes. Mr. Abernathy stands up, and pulls me up with him. He grabs hold of both sides of my face, and looks at me sternly. Some of the sores on his face have started to heal. "You're young Peeta, and I'm not expecting you to mature with what's happened to you, so soon, like me. But you need to _understand_ that guarding yourself because of what's happened before, _isn't_ going to make your life easier. It's going to make it harder. You'll push opportunities aside. Miss things. Miss life. It's time for you to learn to live _with_ what's happened. Not run away from it."

"I'm not ready. I just can't. Not yet." I whisper. Mr. Abernathy grips my face tighter.

"You'll _learn_. But only if you _let_ yourself learn." Mr. Abernathy releases his grip on me, and walks out of the kitchen. I stand alone. ...He's right. I need to try to live with the pain. ...It'll take some time, and effort. But I need to try.

I walk into the common room and gaze out the window. "Mother, Ray...I'm gonna try. Despite everything, I'm going to _try_ and let my guard down. The thought of having _friends_ , close ones at that, scares me. ...I'm worried, that...that they'll just be taken from me. Like you guys, and the friends I left back home. But for you both, I'll work on knocking down each and every last wall encasing my life." Tears brim my eyes, and one slips down my face. Rain drops start pattering against the window. My chest tightens. "For you both.".

AUTHORS NOTE

After at least every 3 chapters I'll post an A/N. Hoping you all are enjoying the story. I have big plans for this. So big that I know I'm going to have a sequel! Yay! But this is just the beginning. Literally. Just a reminder that chapters are updated no later than 1 week. Comments are much appreciated! And thanks to all who are reading! xoxo


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